New York Mets Giving Dillon Gee A Spot Start Sunday vs. Atlanta Braves

By Kenneth Teape | Jun 13, 2015

The New York Mets are reverting back to a form of the six-man rotation with Dillon Gee returning from the bereavement list Sunday. This is a necessary move to make, but are the Mets even sure how to execute it properly?

Coming into the week, the big news for the New York Mets was that they were scrapping their six-man rotation idea. Instead, Dillon Gee would be moved into the bullpen and the Mets would use a more traditional five-man rotation. Well, they seem to have changed their minds again, as the Mets announced that Gee will be taking the hill on Sunday, starting the series finale against the Atlanta Braves once he returns from his leave.

Sandy Alderson is now referring to what the Mets are using as a “six-man light” rotation. He mentioned it when talking Thursday, saying, “This was always a six-man light, five-man heavy — however you want to describe it. This was never about pitching guys every sixth [game] regardless of an off day or what have you. You can look at all of my comments leading up to it, which are perfectly consistent with that. From my standpoint, the overall approach to the pitching really hasn’t changed.”

What this basically means is that Gee is not really demoted. He is said to be a member of the bullpen, but will be making spot starts periodically. The reasoning behind it? To preserve the Mets younger starting pitchers from reaching their inning limits too fast.

Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard are all on inning limits this season. With the Mets being in the thick of the playoff race thus far, they cannot afford to completely shut down three of their best pitchers in September. Using Gee periodically will give them the rest they need to be extended throughout the regular season.

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Also, it will not knock them off their schedules too much. With a full six-man rotation, there could be times a guy may not start for seven days. With what the Mets are now doing, that is something that will not happen, as Gee will just make a spot start to give a guy extra rest during long stretches of play like the Mets are currently in.

This is a move that will garner a lot of attention, as the Mets just cannot figure out what they want to do with their rotation. Well, manager Terry Collins isn’t one of the people who believe it is a lot of something being made of nothing when he discussed it prior to Friday’s game. “It’s drama. We’re living in New York City, that’s where drama’s made. Here’s something that could create some drama, that could be blown out of proportion when it was very minor.”

Collins has a point, as the New York media will sometimes blow things out of proportion, but the Mets bring it upon themselves sometimes. But with this instance, it is something worth talking about and will be discussed and scrutinized. Gee is being put in an uncomfortable position, as he will never know when he will be asked to pitch. Professional athletes are creatures of habit and schedules, and if it is thrown off track even the slightest the results will follow the same route.

Jun 12, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets manager Terry Collins (10) watches game from dugout during second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

It is also tough on the rest of the players in the starting rotation. How will this affect veterans Bartolo Colon and Jonathon Niese, neither of whom are on an innings count but could have their routines altered in the process. This is something that Collins touched on, admitting not even he knows how long this will last.

“This may be the last time we do it. Cause I have no idea what’s gonna happen next week, I really don’t, I really have no clue. When we set this down, it was about looking way down the road at the big picture, saying we plan on being in this thing in September, and I’m not shutting those [other] guys down if I can help it. That’s what it was all about.”

Well, some people like when a manager is being honest but to hear that he has no idea what the plan is going forward has to make people a little uneasy. With the current state the Mets are in, even with the victory Friday, they have to have a plan in place.

The Mets look to be in it for the long run right now, and if they are unable to use deGrom, Harvey or Syndergaard in an important game in September because they were pushed in June, there will undoubtedly be problems in Queens. This idea looks weird from the outside as the roles are not set in stone, but it is a necessary move for the situation the Mets are in with their young arms.

Next: What possible moves will the Mets make?

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